Mail-box



140. 608,420. v v Patented Aug. 2, I898.

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HAIL BOX.

(Application filed Sept. 14, 1897.)

(N0 Modpl.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

HOURS of COLLECTION 7/ e; es.- VQ M J[. I C fieeuew;

UNITED STAT PATENT OFFICE.

MATTHIEWVF. OHEEVER/S, OF'I-IOLYQKE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,420, dated August 2, 1898. Application filedfieptember 14, 1897. Serial No. 651,653. (No model.)

To all whom itmayoonoern:

Be it known that LMATTHEW F. CHEEVERS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Holyoke, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in mail-boxes, the object being to improve mailboxes of the kind which embody two compartments, a lower compartment for letters and an upper compartment for. the reception of newspapers, packages, and other pieces of large mail-matter. 1

The invention relates to specific constructions and combinations'of parts to the end of rendering the mail-box simple, durable, practical, and well adapted to the purpose to which it is to be put; and the invention consists in the constructionsand combinations of parts, all substantially as will hereinafter be described, and set forth in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the mailbox with its end portion in vertical section. Fig. 2 is an end elevation with the front portion thereof in vertical section. Fig. 3 is a plan view with a portion of the top broken away for clearer illustration.

In the drawings, A represents the mail-box as a whole, thesame having the hemicylindrical top a, the lower portion thereof being of rectangular form, and the box is divided into the two compartments B and O, the lower one B being for the reception of letters and the upper compartment being for the reception and protection of newspapers and larger articles of mail-matter.

1) represents the partition dividingthe box into the two compartments. The end walls d d of the mail-box are provided with the grooves e e, the one being opposite the other and both inclined from the front to the rear downwardly, the edges of thepartition b havinga sliding fit in said grooves, whereby they receive support in the bases of said grooves and whereby the partition may be removed, if desired, when the front wall f of the mailbox is removed, so that should it be desired toconvert the box into a newspaper or package receiving box solely this may be conveniently done.

The front wall f of themail-box, which extends from the bottom about to the base of the rounded top, is removably attached, preferably by the fastenin gs shown at 10,which are rivets.

Rivets are preferably employed, they being by their lower portions cast in the edges of the end walls of the box, the front wall having perforations 11 near its ends, which register with and fit over the projecting ends of the rivets, which latter, after the partition I) has been placed in the groove 0 therefor and the frontf has been brought to place, are up set to securely confine the front in place.

The letter-compartment has the slit or opening g through its end for the insertion of the letters, the Same being overhung by the hood or guard 12, and the door D is provided for closing the opening through which to remove the letters, as desired, this door being provided with hasp and padlock (indicated at h) or other suitable fastening devices.

lVithin the front of the boxis a'depression 't', in which is fitted a frame j, which carries a plate of glass j and behind the latter a tablet or sheet- (represented by the black lines 3' in Fig. 2) on which is printed the hours of collection or other notice. The screws 13, passing through the ear=lu gs 14 into the front wall of the box, confine the frame and glass which hold and protect the tablet against the Weather in their places.

In the front portion of the rounded top of the box is the opening 70, of considerable length and breadth, at which the arc-formed sliding door at is provided. This dooris of a width somewhat greater than the width of the opening, and the end portions of this curveddoor have a support and sliding fit in the curved groove n, which is constituted by the facing bouudaries'of the roof or top wall of the'box and the curved rib 15. The sliding door has the handle m by which to move it into its opened or closed position, and this handle serves as a stop or abutment, whereby the door at will not be slid farther rearwardly than sufficient to widely open the entrance to the compartment C, and usually the door will return to its closed position, sliding thereto by gravity.

The upper edge of the front wall of the mail-box is formed with a step-like seat or rabbet 0, down into which the edge of the curved sliding door fits, such edge overlapping the tongue 0 and serving to prevent, when the door is closed, the entrance of dust or water into the mail-box.

'6 represents a yoke or fastening device for supporting the box on a post or other suitable or available fixture.

I claim A mail-box provided with upper and lower compartments, the upperone havinga rounded top provided with the opening 7;, in its front, and having end walls provided upon their inner sides with the ribs l5, 15, below and near the top whereby the ways a are produced; the arc-shaped cover on, having its outer end beveled so as to catch over beveled surfaces 0 upon the front of the box for the purpose of forming a tight joint, the partition Z) placed in grooves made in the inner side of the box, the front of which is made removable, and secured in position by means of rivets, said movable front being grooved so as to receive the front edge of the partition, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 12th day of August, 1897.

MATIIElV F. (JIIEEVE 1S. \Vitnesscs:

WM. S. BnLLows, J. M. BnLLows. 

